A Scottish council is facing serious backlash after allowing a convicted rapist to keep his taxi operator’s licence, with critics calling the decision both incomprehensible and shameful.
A special council meeting was held on Tuesday to address the controversy surrounding David Brown, who was permitted to retain his licence despite his conviction for rape. The move has sparked widespread anger among the public, women’s groups, and elected officials alike.
The decision has raised urgent questions about how licensing authorities assess risk and protect public safety, particularly when it comes to an industry where drivers regularly transport vulnerable people, often alone and late at night.
Councillors who called the emergency meeting made clear they were deeply troubled by how the original decision was reached. Many expressed disbelief that someone with such a serious conviction could be considered a fit and proper person to hold any kind of taxi licence, let alone continue operating one.
Critics have pointed out that taxi licensing rules exist precisely to protect the public. The fit and proper person test is meant to act as a safeguard, ensuring that those granted licences to operate or drive taxis do not pose a risk to passengers. Allowing a rapist to keep that licence, they argue, makes a mockery of the entire system.
Women’s safety campaigners were among the most vocal in condemning the decision. For many, the idea that a convicted rapist could legally continue to operate within an industry built on public trust is deeply alarming. Taxis are used by people of all ages and backgrounds, but women travelling alone at night are particularly reliant on them, and the thought that licensing authorities failed to act decisively has left many feeling let down.
The council meeting on Tuesday was tense, with members pushing for answers on how the original decision was made and who was responsible for signing off on it. There were calls for a full review of the licensing process and demands that the decision be overturned as quickly as possible.
Brown’s case has also reignited a broader debate about how Scottish councils handle licensing decisions involving serious criminal convictions. While each case is technically assessed on its own merits, many believe that a rape conviction should be an automatic disqualifier, full stop, with no room for exceptions or grey areas.
Licensing law in Scotland gives councils significant discretion when deciding whether someone is a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence. That discretion, supporters of the system argue, allows for nuance and fairness. But opponents say that same discretion can lead to exactly the kind of outcome seen in this case, where common sense appears to have gone out the window.
The backlash has put pressure on council leadership to act swiftly and decisively. With the story attracting national attention, there is little appetite among most elected members to let the matter drag on. The reputational damage to the council is already significant, and the longer Brown is allowed to retain his licence, the worse it looks.
For now, the public is watching closely to see what happens next. Many are hoping the special meeting marks the beginning of the end for this particular decision, and that the council will move quickly to revoke the licence and put in place clearer guidelines to make sure nothing like this happens again.
Absolute joke. How is that even a thing? Someone needs to lose their job over that decision, never mind the license. Genuinely baffling that anyone thought that was acceptable.